Chapter 49:23-39 (Part 2)

We have another future prophecy concerning Damascus. There was a time when Damascus was heavily populated by Israelis. As we studied earlier, Aleppo, Syria was once a domain of large populations of “Jews.” These two cities have rivaled each other as to which one is the largest in Syria. They also rival each other as two which is the longest occupied major city of the world. Didn’t Saul, renamed Paul go and dwell there for a while to regain his site?

WARNING! There is a significant amount of history revision going on right under our nose and few recognize it. The often used Wikipedia of the internet states as concerning Damascus: “First settled in the second millennium BC, it was chosen as the capital of the Umayyad Caliphate from 661 to 750.” First settled in the second millennium B.C.? To accept this sheds question on the ignorant about bible history. We read in Genesis 14:15 that Abraham, due to the trouble his nephew Lot seemed often to attract, pursued Lot’s captives “north of Damascus.” Abraham lived around 2,000 B.C. It had to already be there or Abraham, through the pen of Moses, would not have made mention of it as an existing city. History revisionists are at work in our lifetime. Study the Bible first.

Damascus (49:23-27) is often identified as a city-state in the Bible and other histories. 2 Samuel 8:5 tells us that David, the second king of Israel, “Struck down the Arameans (Assyrians) of Damascus.” He put this area under his and eventually Solomon’s kingships. This city-state was originally established by Asshur [or sometimes spelled Ashur, but not of the Tribe of Asher], the second son of Shem. This means that the people of Syria/Damascus as did Abraham, Isaac, then Jacob, descended from Shem (Noah’s son).

God has a reason to be directly involved in these people lives. HE appointed Shem the spiritual one of the three sons of Noah. These people of Damascus worshiped their founder as a god – Asshur. Isaiah [*chapter17] prophesied the destruction of Damascus 2700 years ago yet it continues today. We must keep in mind that we must work in God’s timetable, not the other way around. The destruction of Damascus may be at hand per the ongoing civil war(s) in Syria.

*Isaiah 17:1 tells us that Damascus will become a burned heap of rubble ceasing to exist. That has not yet happened in history. A nuclear bomb would do this and have similar results. Iran and Syria are sworn enemies of nuclear powered Israel. Yes, the Babylonians defeated and burned Damascus in 732 B.C. However, it continues to be a city. The total destruction has not yet happened. Watch the news.

Jeremiah 49:27 (people of Kedar) Kedar is a son of Ishmael therefore a grandson of Abraham through Kater’ah. He is the sixth son of the twelve sons of Ishmael (Genesis 25). Back in Jeremiah 2:10 Jeremiah challenges his fellow countrymen to “cross over to Kedar” to see if they change gods’ as Judah (and Israel in the north) is guilty of doing?

JIV NOTE: All but Philistia and Babylon being discussed by Jeremiah in chapter 49 are found in between Israel and Iran today. This is purely speculation, thus Jim’s Introspective View.  If [when] war breaks out between nuclear focused Iran who is sworn to drive Israel into the Sea, and nuclear Israel, these lands told by Jeremiah that will become desolate, burned and heaps of rubble with no occupants, sit between these two eternal enemies.

Is not verse 24 potentially a relevant spotlight today? “Damascus has become feeble and turning to panic. Anguish and pain has seized her” [NIV]. The process has begun.

Kedar and Hazor (49:28-33) Nebuchadnezzar did invade this territory in his conquests. In reading this scripture passage one can glean from it a future prophecy upon Kedar and “Hazor.” According to the Book of Joshua, Hazor was the seat of Jabin, a powerful Canaanite king who led a Canaanite confederation against Joshua. He and his coalition of armies were defeated by Joshua. As with the people of Kedar, these people too descended from Ishmael. These lands will become a (NIV) “haunt of jackals, a desolate place. No one will live there; no man will dwell there.” This has NOT yet happened in history. It has to be a reference to End Time.

Jeremiah 49:34-39 (Elam) Let’s remind ourselves that Elamites also descended from Shem. Their territory is today’s western border of Iran (Persia). Once an empire in and of itself, it disintegrated to a province of Persia. It exists today on the NE shores of the Persian Gulf. Its immediate neighbor to the west is Iraq.

This prophecy to Jeremiah came from the Lord God during the reign of Zedekiah. The bow is called “the mainstay of their might.” It must mean these people were experts with bow and arrow. Similar in a way to a description given to the men from the Tribe of Benjamin, they had great accuracy with a weapon of war. Similar to what God says about his scattering of the twelve Tribes of Israel, in 49:36b it reads (NIV) “I will scatter them to the four winds and there will not be a nation where Elam’s exiles do not go.” The amazing prophecy and a bit difficult to explain is verse 38…”I (God Jehovah) will set my throne in Elam.” Other scriptures put Jesus on the throne in Jerusalem. We hesitate but want to mention, most Judeans (Benjamites) remained in Babylon after release.

However, if we accept that the covenants between God and Israel and the future covenants between Christians and Jesus are distinct, it makes sense. Jesus’s throne is in Jerusalem and God-Jehovah has his in Elam. This is not often taught by theologians. Fact is most will avoid it. Once again God promises to bring about their rerun in End Time. This is a common message throughout this chapter. What else is common is the fact these are people in this chapter descended from Shem. The ones promised nothing of the sort are the Philistines in chapter 47 and Babylonians in chapter 50. There is a Lud mentioned in Genesis 10:13; a descendant (first born) of Mizraim (Ham). But there is also a Lud who descended from Shem [Genesis 10:22].

 J Stark